Global Travel Tops Irish Bucket Lists, AA Life

Worldwide travel and learning a new language are the ambitions most likely to feature on the bucket lists of Irish people according to recent findings from AA Ireland.

60.90% of over 3,000 Irish people responding to an AA Life Insurance & Mortgage Protection survey stated that they intend on travelling to a specific destination outside of Europe during their life-time, while 50.47% of those polled are planning a visit to a European destination. Meanwhile, just under a third of those surveyed, 30.64%, stated that learning a new language was among their key life goals.

“While the destinations people want to visit were vast and varied for the majority of us there’s at least one city or country we want to see during our lifetime. In many ways its unsurprising that travel would feature on so many bucket lists as creating memories for ourselves and for our families is something that’s hugely important to us all,” Conor Faughnan, AA Director of Consumer Affairs stated. “However, when considering a bucket list it’s also important to bear in mind how your family will make ends meet if you were to die prematurely. Beyond simply covering their basic needs you’ll likely want them to be able to continue to create memories as a family, which if left without a means of replacing your income could become very difficult.”

The AA Life survey also found that, when it comes to bucket lists, many Irish people have at least one adventurous goal in mind.

Over a quarter of those surveyed, 25.84%, hope to visit each of the 7 continents at least once during their lifetime. Meanwhile, 16.68% and 12.23% identified swimming with dolphins/sharks or taking part in a marathon/triathlon as one of their life goals.

“It appears that many of us certainly have a flair for the adventurous and for risk-taking, but many Irish families and parents are taking much greater risks every day. Recent research has highlighted that just a fifth of parents have adequate life insurance and mortgage protection in place,” Faughnan added. “While the temptation to delay purchasing life insurance is understandable in some ways, ultimately none of us like to think about the reality of making a claim on such a policy, not having the necessary cover in place puts your loved ones in real danger should they no longer have access to your income.”

The survey also found that 5.25% of respondents did not have a bucket list planned out, with men slightly more likely than women to avoid planning out goals to achieve during their lifetime.

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